[e-mail] Reviews

Black Christmas (1974)

CREE-PY!!!!

[22 July 2003]

I am probably not the BEST person to review this movie, as I have only seen it twice, but with this particular film, that's enough. It's creepy as hell. I am a major horror fan and because of that that statement is NOT an easy one for me to say. The phone calls from the killer to the girls freak the livin' shhh out of me! The voice sounds almost warped and garbled, uhh I am having chills now thinking about it! It's crazy that it was directed by the same man who did the perennial Christmas family fave "A Christmas Story" and "Porky's". All of the actors did a great job, especially Margot Kidder as the drunken sorority girl. She was my favorite, I think. Also in this is Andrea Martin, most recently famous for "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" as one of the girls. I watched it right around Christmas time and it freaked me out like y'all wouldn't even believe. Of all the Holiday-themed horror movies ("Silent Night, Deadly Night", "My Bloody Valentine", etc.) I think this is right up there with "Halloween". Major props to all involved, just DON'T watch this one at night OR alone, you think you will be able get to sleep? YOU WON'T!!!!

From Justin to Kelly (2003)

CASABLANCA it ain't, but give it a chance

[23 June 2003]

Let me start out by saying that I AM not an American Idol fan, of the second or first season, but seeings how this was a "beach party musical" directed by the "She's All That" director, we know from the get-go that it ain't Oscar worthy stuff, okay? And that Kelly and Justin are the only NAMES in this film, no cameos or supporting roles for other famous celebrities, and yet I thought this movie was pretty cute, there was hardly ANY swearing, if any, no sex for sex's sake and there's no doubt that they both can sing and they danced pretty well too, the press has been saying that Kelly has been saying that it's like Grease, well, Grease is my all-time favorite movie, and From Justin To Kelly is in no way shape or form is as good as Grease on any level, but it isn't bad, would you rather pay cash to see crap get blown up?, sure it's corny and bubblegum, that's part of its charm, and it is kind of like an old fashioned wholesome movie, whenever something like that like ON THE LINE or whatever comes out, people see it and think "oh that looks so stupid", and "oh God, singers trying to act" and don't even give it a chance. Well, they weren't the best actors ever either, but I for one found this movie a nice change of pace from all the pyrotechnic stuff that Hollywood always seems to make and will certainly buy it when it come out on dvd.

The Virgin Suicides (1999)

JUST LIKE LIFE

[16 November 2002]

When I first heard the title of this movie, I was interested. With a name like that, how can you ignore it? So I read the book, haunting, beautiful, sad, dark and incredible all in one, when I read the other reviews and see people diss it it makes me extremely mad. Americans have been taken outside of our own minds and asked to stoop to stupid levels of entertainment (i.e. jackass, adam sandler movies, and things of that nature) that when something ORIGINAL or thought provoking comes along, such as this film, people just dismiss it and have to put it down because they aren't smart enough to understand it. This film is shot through with so much light, life and color that it's hard to remember that it's extremely dark, and studies some heavy crap. Certain elements stay with you long after the film is over, and if you've seen the movie you know exactly what I'm talking about. Many people say " I didn't feel anything for the girls because you don't get to know them" THAT is a cop-out, those girls lives show on their faces. Then there's always the inevitable " I didn't get that movie", well some fools don't realize that it's the BOYS story to tell, you are seeing things as THEY saw them, NOT the girls. Things aren't always resolved in real life, does that mean that each movie needs to be tied up in a cute little package with a bow? No, it doesn't, and this movie does not set out to do that. The adaptation of the book to the screen was the best I have ever seen in a movie. And if you read the book first and have seen the movie repeatedly (as I have) you see things that were mentioned in the book that are IN the movie, but are not brought your attention to (the bugs on the cars in the beginning, Cecilia's Zodiac Mobile) so it becomes very multi-layered.

The acting, especially Kirsten Dunst, is top notch, she has never done better, and I am a HUGE Kirsten fan. Kathleen Turner is almost unrecognizable as Mrs. Lisbon, the girls' mother. Even Josh Hartnett is good. It's a very sad, beautiful and moving film and I would suggest to anyone.

3 Women (1977)

WHAT AN UNDERRATED CLASSIC!!

[24 September 2002]

I first saw this movie when I was 14 on Encore. I was dumbfounded as to what it meant then. I'm now 25 and a big Sissy Spacek fan, so I decided to see it again. MAJOR STUMBLING BLOCK!! It's never, EVER been released on video!! SO I had to do some scouting on ebay and a fellow who had it recorded off of Cinemax sold a copy to me. After all these years, I still don't get it and I am GLAD I don't get it. THIS MOVIE IS AWESOME!!! It is like being inside a dream, a hallucination. Nothing makes sense, but it all does. There really isn't a huge plot, and if you read other users comments they can tell you what it is. Shelly Duvall and Sissy work in an assisted living home and their personalities somehow mix and switch. There's also a third woman (DUH!) played by an actress I have never seen in anything else, Janice Rule. But pay attention to her and EVERYTHING ELSE YOU SEE because it skips back to what happens earlier in the film. As any of you who know ANYTHING about this movie (or have read the other user comments) Robert Altman got the idea for this movie in a dream. Now I don't know who I'll be offending by this, but I'm not a HUGE Robert Altman fan. But this movie is SO different than anything I've seen that I just HAD to fall in love with it. The tone and atmosphere is so engrossing and sucks you in that you really don't care that it is a little bit over two hours long and doesn't move fast. You kind of think to yourself, "where is this going?" and you LIKE the fact that you do. I remember when I first watched this with my mom many years ago she said at the end "what the HELL did I just watch?" It's got symbolism, atmosphere, an eerie dreamlike feel to it and LOADS of images that stay with you. I think it is Shelly's best work and some of Sissy's too. The third woman is great as well. I would like to applaud EVERYONE who worked on this. If any of this sounds interesting to you, GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO SEE THIS TREMENDOUS MOVIE!! Makes me mad that studios don't produce these type of "character driven" movies anymore. I think maybe the 70's was the only time a movie like this could exist. Studios weren't afraid to take chances then. Write 20th Century Fox and DEMAND this movie come out on DVD. You don't always need an explanation for every movie you see, some movies, like life, don't have happy endings, or endings at all. Like one previous reviewer said, "just see it with an open mind, and TRY to sleep afterwards. You'll have the most amazing dream." I couldn't agree more.